No one is a wood stove expert the first time they use a woodstove.  Through trial and error you learned the best way to run your woodstove.  The same is true with the Prometheus basket.  Although there are many similarities to burning cordwood there are also differences which you must become acquainted with.  The more you use the Prometheus the better you will be able to use it to it's full potential.  You'll find what works best for your situation.

* Be sure to follow the suggested sizing chart.  If the basket is to small it will not generate the heat required as when you have previous burned cord wood.

Lighting Tips:

   When lighting for the first time only half the basket and place a starter candle under each air channel.  A small amount of starter gel can be placed on top of the pellets and be ignited.  This will create a better draft and will burn off some of the initial smoke during the first four minutes of ignition.  Ignite the starter candle right after starting the gel.  Gel is not required, but does aid start up. Add fuel after the pellets have ignited (generally 5 minutes or less).

Refueling:

    Fuel can be added at any time with as little as an inch of pellets remaining in the basket.  However, for optimal heat output regularly adding small quantities of fuel (particularly in the first hour) will provide maximum heat output.

    In a fireplace you will probably have to add fuel after one hour and with a woodstove you will generally refuel after 1-2 hours if you have been running the stove with the damper wide open. (Though this may vary in some situations)

For the best possible performance do the following when re-fueling:

    Toss a small quantity of pellets under and around the basket prior to adding more fuel.  Tap the top frame of the basket several times with a hearth tool.  Small pieces of glowing pellets will fall through the wire and onto the fresh pellets.  If you do not have a stove tool the same effect will be achieved by the fresh fuel landing on top of the older fuel.  The pressure from above will knock small glowing pellets through the basket onto the small quantity of fuel below.  Fill the basket with fuel.  Generally within one minute you will have pellets burning again.  Any excess fuel that spills out onto the floor of the appliance is beneficial in that it will aid in the igniting the fuel after filling and also serves to produce more heat and keep the appliance hot. This is particularly useful in a fireplace that does not have doors as air control is somewhat limited.

    If the appliance has doors, the fuel will ignite very quickly if the door is open very slightly to allow a rush of air towards the basket after refilling.  Even if the flames begin on one side of the basket, they will move quickly to cover the entire mass of fuel as the flames begin to grow.  This is the case for both woodstoves and fireplaces.  If there are no doors on the fireplace, when refueling, best results will be obtained when the fuel is heaped towards the back portion of the basket.  This allows the remaining flames to roll up towards the unburned fuel and ignite.

If you do not follow the procedures above, it could take significantly longer to ignite, particularly in a fireplace.

Fuel Consumption:

   The amount of fuel consumed will vary widely from appliance to appliance, just as cord wood consumption will vary. A general statement that appears true with all appliances is that fuel consumption in the first hour will be higher than any subsequent hour.  Initially you have to get the stove mass up to temperature and this will require consuming fuel.  The consumer should not worry about fuel consumption in the first hour.  It is important to get the stove up to temperature.  Later fuel consumption will decrease because air will be somewhat restricted by the presence of ash.  If the stove is hot in the first hour it will not be difficult to maintain room temperature later.

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